


The Offer

by Snickerdoodles27



Category: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: CM!SS, Chicago Med Secret Santa 2019, Connor x Will, How Do I Tag, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, No Beta, Rhodestead - Freeform, Russian Translation Available, Secret Santa, author doesn't know how to title, holiday fic, sorry it's so late sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21984151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snickerdoodles27/pseuds/Snickerdoodles27
Summary: Connor comes back to Chicago for the holidays, and Will's the only one who knows he's coming home.Secret Santa 2019 gift for @plumfulkiss!
Relationships: Will Halstead/Connor Rhodes (Chicago Med)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 132





	The Offer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [plumfulkiss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumfulkiss/gifts).



> A Chicago Med secret Santa was happening on Tumblr, and I decided to try it out! It was a lot of fun, and I loved the gift I got! Hopefully my recipient likes what they get 😨
> 
> The event was hosted by princessbekker and bookreader525 on Tumblr.
> 
> Brief mentions of character committing suicide.(Ava)
> 
> Russian translation here: https://ficbook.net/readfic/9342872

Sometimes, when Will was feeling particularly bored (lonely, that feeling is lonely), he’d scroll through his contacts list. It was long and expansive. He should probably clean it out, erase some people he knew he’d never see again.

But he doesn’t. Some of those numbers were the only links he had to the people they belonged to, whoever they are/ were. He wasn’t ready to cut those strings yet.

Most of them didn’t even have photos, so he couldn’t connect the name to a face. Some of them weren’t even names, just emojis or words that were obviously nicknames. The nicknames were probably funny at the time, made up on the spot and added to his phone on a whim. They were echoes of what that person meant to him. That meaning was lost to the sands of time.

(Who the fuck is “:D”? Why did he have “ejfgdGAAy@Gw&E” in his contacts?)

He tried to remember some of those people, on the nights when he was scrolling through everything. How did they meet? Why did he have their number? Where were they now?

Obviously, he remembers the important ones. Natalie is “Nat <3”. Jay is “Bruh”, and the profile picture is an embarrassing photo Erin caught and sent him. He had Erin’s number too, easily found in the “E” section. He’s got almost all of firehouse 51. He’s got most of his coworkers and friends, like Maggie and April and even Latham. He’s got his dad’s number, which he knows he’ll never delete.

Then there’s Connor’s number.

Connor, who gave his number one night at Molly’s after shift, when it was just one of those days and Will had needed a drink. Connor, who had slid into the seat next to him like it happened everyday and slid his phone over, unlocked and opened on the “add contact” page.

“If you ever wanna talk about stuff, my number’s open.” he had offered casually, taking a sip of his drink.

“What?” Will asked, dumbfounded. They were barely past the acquaintance stage of their shared existence. He didn’t think Connor would actively seek out Will’s presence, let alone his number.

Connor shrugged. “Sometimes it's nice to have someone to talk to. And sometimes you don't feel like doing it face to face.”

“Okay, but we barely talk to each other outside of work.” Will tried to point out, but it sounded more like a question. He was already reaching for the phone.

“Okay, you also looked kinda sad.”

“Fuck you, Rhodes.” he grumbled, but his spirits had been lifted.

Will added his number to Connor’s phone. Later that night, Connor had texted him.

_Unknown number: add my number if you want_

Will had added the number. He had no reason not to. Besides, Connor was a decent guy who just happened to be kind of rich and outranked him at work. He had stopped him from telling Jennifer Baker about the placebo. He had called him a good doctor. Maybe they could be friends instead of acquaintances.

Neither of them actually traded any texts, but it was nice knowing he was there. They weren’t quite as antagonistic towards each other at work anymore either. Sometimes they drank together at Molly's. Sometimes Will would send memes, because Natalie didn't laugh at them and everyone else threatened to block him. Connor always laughed at his memes. It was a weird friendship, but it was a friendship nonetheless. A unique one.

Things were fine. Everything was okay.

Then Connor’s father died under shady circumstances. The car crash happened. He found out that Natalie was engaged to Phillip. He removed the “<3” from Natalie’s contact. Ava killed herself. The ED was torn apart by confusion and tragedy.

Connor left. He left, and the only things he left behind were the hybrid OR, his memory, and his number, tucked away in Will’s phone. He understood. Really, he did. Who wouldn’t want to leave after witnessing their ex's suicide right after finding out she murdered their estranged father?

The night he left, Will went to Molly’s and had a drink: scotch on the rocks. Connor was drinking it the night he offered his phone, and Will had seen him drinking it a couple of times afterwards. It was probably the guy's favorite drink.

He drank it that night in remembrance of the sort of friendship they had. He sat in a quiet corner of the bar and scrolled through his contacts mindlessly. He skimmed through his and Connor’s messages. Nothing significant jumped out at him. No long philosophical talks, heated debates, or heart to hearts. Just memes, reactions, and the odd happy birthday. His friendship with Connor was nothing special.

Yet, it was different. Connor stood out from all the other contacts he had, for reasons unrelated to recent events. That should mean something, now that this friendship was severed. He should do something.

His fingers hover over the text box. A good friend would text him, offer him help in any way he could. But what could Will say? _Hey, sorry your dad got murdered by your ex._ No, too forward. _Sorry Ava killed herself._ No, too depressing.

This was something that just didn’t sound good, by text or face to face conversation. Maybe it was just better to say nothing at all? That sounded bad too.

Finally, he decided on one simple sentence.

_Will: If you ever wanna talk about stuff, my number’s open._

Will didn't receive any reply for weeks. He could see that it had been read. Normally, he'd send another message and ask why Connor wasn't responding, but that didn't strike him as an appropriate course of action. If Connor wanted to talk, he'd talk.

Will could be an absolute dumbass sometimes, but he could tell Connor wasn't up for talking about it, in person or over text. He’d wait for him, however long it took.

It wasn’t until Christmas Eve that he received a response. It was snowing hard outside, and Will was planning to just stay inside and watch Netflix all night in pajamas and mismatched socks. Jay was supposed to come over, but Will had told him to stay home. They’d see each other on New Year’s Eve anyways.

He was halfway through season one of Grey’s Anatomy when his phone pinged. He picked it up lazily, glancing at the notification without much fuss.

_Text from Connor Rhodes: can u pick me up at the airport? Midway_

He quickly paused Netflix and typed out his response without really thinking about it.

_Will: Sure. Be there asap_

_Connor: thanks man._

Will was out the door in minutes, heart racing and mind swirling with questions. Why was Connor back so suddenly? Why did he text Will for a drive, and not his sister? What about Will compelled Connor to actively seek him out?

He was thinking too hard about this. He was really glad Connor had texted him. He was glad Connor still considered him a friend. He should focus on driving through the stupid snow.

An hour after leaving home, Will was finally pulling up to the pick up area. He stopped breathing as he spotted a familiar figure sitting on a bench, two cups of coffee in hand and wearing a jacket he probably couldn’t afford. His hair was messed up like he had been running his fingers through it a lot. He looked tired, but lit up when he spotted Will. His teeth were really white. And straight. And nice.

God, he missed that smile.

Will unlocked his car doors with a click as Connor approached. He opened the passenger door, letting in a rush of sharp winter air. Will’s blood was roaring in his ears as Connor sat down, depositing the two coffees in the cup holders.

“I got you coffee as thanks.” Connor said casually, tossing his bag into the back. “You really didn’t have to come.”

Will shrugged nonchalantly, while internally screaming.

“I wasn’t about to leave you in the snow like this.”

“Still, thanks. It was really sudden. Claire couldn't leave the store in time because Christmas sales, you know. I probably interrupted your Christmas Eve plans.” Connor said softly, shoving his hands in his pockets. At first glance, he looked relaxed, but Will could see the invisible string stretched across his shoulders, holding him up under an aura of melancholy.

He was uncomfortable here. That made Will sad.

He let out that nervous laugh. “I was holed up at home watching Netflix in the dark. You interrupted nothing.” To emphasize his point, he slapped his thigh, which was in his Christmas pajama pants. Connor let out an amused huff at that.

“Stylish, Halstead.”

“You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Connor turned away from him, but Will could still see the hint of a smile on the car window. “Thanks.”

Cue the awkward silence. Will's eyes burned as he tried hard not to stare excessively at Connor's face. He wanted to reach out so badly, put a hand on his shoulder or something, anything but silence. They'd been silent since Connor left.

"So, uh… why are you back in Chicago?" he asked. The invisible string tightened a little again. Fuck.

"Visiting my sister." he answered. Short, no expansion added afterwards.

"That's nice." Will said, completely aware of the increasing level of sweat gathering under his palms. "You staying over at her place?"

Connor shook his head. "I'd love to, but her boyfriend's staying over and that'd be kind of awkward. I'm staying in a hotel instead."

A car behind them honked loudly, making both of them jump. Will realized he hadn't pulled out of the pick up zone yet.

"Ah fuck, we're holding up traffic." Connor mumbled. "Can I use your phone to put in the address?"

"You could stay at my place." Will blurted out, almost immediately curling his toes in regret. Curse his fat mouth.

Connor stared at him, hand hovering in front of Will's phone, which was attached to the dashboard. His expression was unreadable.

"I mean, I got a guest room Jay usually uses, but I could give it to you." Will babbled, trying to salvage the situation. "Hotels are really crowded this time of year too, so you might not get a room."

"I reserved a room." Connor stated, now looking perplexed. He had put his hand down now.

"Oh… uh, okay." Will said dumbly, licking his lips. This was going terribly. What the hell was he doing? "That's okay. I thought I'd offer, you know, in case… you wanted to stay with a friend. But you obviously don't need to, since you got a room. You can use my phone now, password's a 'z' shape "

Connor made no move to unlock Will's phone. He just looked at Will with those piercing blue eyes, locking him in place. He couldn't turn away. Couldn't breathe.

His gaze was electrifying, powerful. He was Connor Rhodes, a damn good surgeon and possibly the prettiest guy Will had ever met. He could do whatever he wanted.

"Staying with a friend would be nice." Connor said. He could barely be heard over the blood rushing in his ears. "You're really offering?"

Will nodded. He wasn't breathing. The world outside the car didn't exist.

"I'll stay at your place then. Lemme cancel the room."

Holy Moly. Fucking hell. That worked. He didn't even know what he was doing and it worked.

The car behind them honked again, this time more insistently. Will flinched and pulled out of the pick up zone. His hands were still pretty sweaty.

The city zipped past them in streaks of light, dotted with fluffy white stars. Connor sat next to him quietly, sipping his coffee and gazing out the window with what looked like longing. The string around his shoulders loosened as time went on. The roaring in Will's ears died down.

Holy shit, he'd just invited Connor home. What was he doing? He didn't know how to host people in his home! What if Connor hated him later? What if Connor only said yes to be nice?

Will had done nothing to earn this.

"I never did say thanks." Connor started suddenly, toying with the rim of his coffee cup. Will stared at his steady surgeon hands. They were nice hands.

"For what?" Will asked, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter.

"Offering your number to me." Connor answered. He put the cup down. "The day I left, you sent me a text saying that anything I needed to talk about, you'd listen to it. Thank you for that."

Will shrugged. "You did the same for me. Least I could do was offer you the same choice."

Connor hummed in agreement. "You never took me up on that offer. You just sent medical memes."

Will cracked a small smile, but it was quickly swallowed up by fear.

"You didn't take me up on my offer either." he replied.

Connor nodded. "I have a lot of things to talk about. It'd be a lot to type out."

Will glanced at Connor quickly, and made eye contact. The atmosphere had changed. Something was stirring in those blue eyes.

"So I think I'd rather talk it out loud, with someone I know will listen." Connor continued. "I was thinking… maybe we could go out and talk. Together."

Will had to use an incredible amount of restraint to not only avoid crashing the car, but to also avoid snapping his neck by whipping his head towards Connor. He turned towards Connor at a normal speed.

"I'd love to. I mean," he wiped a sweaty palm on his ugly Christmas pajama pants, "if you're offering."

Connor let out a small laugh. He sounded relieved. "I'm offering. It's getting pretty late tonight, and tomorrow I have dinner with my sister at six. Are you working tomorrow morning?"

Will shook his head. "I got a full day off tomorrow."

"That's great. I know a place that's open tomorrow, serves really nice breakfast. We could go there?" Connor asked. Will's ears started roaring again.

"Yeah! I mean, sure." Will stammered.

"Cool. It's a date."

"What?" Will nearly yelped, head snapping towards Connor.

"It's a date." Connor repeated, an easy smile on his face. "If you want."

He couldn't believe this was happening to him. This was… this was surreal.

"Are you… offering?" Will stammered.

Connor's smile was soft, yet blinding. Will couldn't get enough of it. He had a sudden desire to capture it in a photo and set it as his contact photo.

"Yeah. I'm offering." he confirmed.

Will couldn't help but smile as well. This was the best Christmas ever.

"I accept your offer." he answered.

"Awesome."

Later that night (or early Christmas morning), after he'd gotten Connor settled in the guest room, after they'd shared a kiss (which was the best gift he'd ever received), Will was lying in bed, scrolling through his contacts again.

There was Jay, and Dad, and so many others. There were people he saw yesterday, and people he can't even remember but had impacted him in some way. There was ":D" and "ejfgdGAAy@Gw&E", people he didn't understand but found funny all the same. There was Nat.

There was Connor, who he knew was in the next room over. Connor, who had called him a good doctor, a good friend, and now a date. Connor, a person he loved.

He added a "<3" to Connor's contact, turned off his light, and went to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Super sorry this was so late ;-; I don't know if this was any good... 
> 
> Happy holidays!


End file.
